Renteria left camp after batting practice on Thursday morning
after he was struck above the mouth with a line drive during
batting practice. The ball ricocheted off a protective screen and
hit Renteria, pushing his front teeth back.

Renteria, 49, is in his first season as the Padres' bench coach.
He was the team's first-base coach the previous three seasons and
has been a coach within the organization since 2003.

It's the second time this spring a Padres coach has been hurt
during batting practice. Last month, third-base coach Glenn Hoffman
was hit in the head with a bat, resulting in a small bump.

Arms war

Pitching coach Darren Balsley was adorned in full football pads
and a helmet and chased down quarterbacks until he injured his
calf. Chase Headley wore eye black and dressed as if he were a
Tennessee football coach. Assistant equipment manager Tony Petricca
was on his bullhorn announcing. And Hoffman blew a whistle as he
emphatically played the role of referee.

The Padres added another fun chapter to their spring training
team building with their own version of the NFL combine in the form
of a quarterback challenge. Run by former Michigan quarterback
Clayton Richard, the event featured four former high school
quarterbacks ---- pitchers Casey Kelly and Cory Luebke, catcher
Nick Hundley and second baseman Orlando Hudson ---- throwing to a
half-dozen teammates who were either wide receivers or tight ends
in high school, including pitcher Wade LeBlanc, who rode on the
back of a flatbed golf cart.

The course included several obstacles, including stacked garbage
cans, a player sitting in a chair and 6-foot-9 pitcher Matt Lollis
standing in front of a target.

In somewhat of an upset, Luebke, a southpaw, bested Kelly, who
bypassed a scholarship to Tennessee to pursue a baseball
career.

"I'm upset," Kelly said with a smile. "He was probably the last
one I would have picked."

Black said he recently asked his players if any had played
quarterback in high school. Aware of Kelly's pedigree, Black said
he was curious to see "if it was legit." Black soon after announced
a contest, and by Monday several footballs had appeared in the
clubhouse.

The contest is one of dozens of events the Padres plan to break
up the monotony of spring training.

"We're here for six weeks," Black said. "Every day is the same.
You've got to do something to break it up and have fun."

Balsley provided some of the biggest laughs when he stormed out
of the clubhouse and onto the field to raucous applause. As the
contest began, Balsley chased after Hudson in an attempt to disrupt
his timing before he injured himself.

"I was going to do a spin move," Balsley said. "I had all kinds
of plans."